Charles Tapper - DE - Oklahoma
Charles Tapper Path to the Draft
Charles Tapper hails from Baltimore, Maryland where he competed in basketball and football at City College HS. Coming to football later than most Tapper didn't play until his junior year but caught on quickly. He finished his senior with 100 tackles and 5 sacks while also catching 10 passes for 200 yards and 5 touchdowns as a TE. This led to him being considered a three-star recruit by ESPN.com, Rivals.com and Scout.com before he committed to Oklahoma.
Once at Oklahoma Tapper was named first-team All-Big 12 as a sophomore in 2013, where he collected 49 tackles, 9 tackles for loss, & 5.5 sacks. Tapper's production slipped during 2014 when he only earned earned honorable mention All-Big 12 honors while starting all 13 games at DE. His tackles, tackles for loss, and sack numbers were all down but he did add 1 forced fumble & 1 fumble recovery. His production bounced back last year as he earned All-American honorable mention honors from Sports Illustrated and was named to All-Big 12 First Team. Tapper produced the best numbers of his career with 50 tackles, 10 for loss, and 7 sacks. Also adding 4 forced fumbles and 1 fumble recovery.
After deciding to enter the NFL draft Charles Tapper performed well at the NFL combine which included running the fastest 40 yard dash of all DEs with a 4.59. That blazing speed shows up in game tape as well. Watch him chase a WR down from behind. While slightly shorter than ideal at 6' 3", Tapper possesses disproportionately long arms (34 1/8 inches) and his 271lbs is evenly distributed. Tapper shows quickness off the snap and complements it with a powerful bull rush. His tape shows that he extends well off the snap and uses his long arms to generate push with his upper body, displaying nonstop effort to motor through blockers. His flaws include his inconsistencies in both production and technique. Tapper doesn't use hands effectively to control the point of attack or to improve his position. His instincts and awareness are way off from where they need to be for Tapper to become a solid every down NFL defensive linemen.
The selection of Tapper continues the stockpile of young, athletic defensive linemen with high upside. Rod Marinelli will have his work cut out for him trying to mold Tapper into a consistent DE with the ability to play both the run and get after the opposing QB. If Rod can get Tapper to commit to improving his technique, especially his pad level and hand placement, Tapper will find himself a solid addition to the Cowboys DL group.